The number of properties going under the hammer increased in September, but auctioneers struggled to turn the additional stock into sales.
New figures from Essential Information Group (EIG) show that 4,903 lots were offered across the UK, up 5.7% year-on-year. However, the number sold fell 2.5%, pushing the national success rate down to 65.9%.
The total amount raised dropped 12.8% to £593.7m, despite an 8.1% increase in residential lots offered. Commercial auctions recorded a sharper decline in both sales and proceeds.
Regional performance was mixed. London and Scotland recorded stronger sales over the rolling three-month period, while parts of the North and the Home Counties saw activity weaken.
David Sandeman of EIG said: “Overall, the auction market continues to see a healthy flow of stock, although the increase in supply is placing some pressure on success rates. While recent results have been softer, activity over the past 12 months remains ahead of last year, providing a positive backdrop as the market moves into the traditionally busier final quarter.”
National Auction Analysis
Overall
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| September 2026 | July 2026 to September 2026 | October 2025 to September 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 4,903 (4,637) | ▲ 5.7% | 11,163 (10,930) | ▲ 2.1% | 45,129 (40,593) | ▲ 11.2% |
| Lots Sold | 3,230 (3,313) | ▼ 2.5% | 7,312 (7,622) | ▼ 4.1% | 30,766 (28,218) | ▲ 9.0% |
| Percent Sold | 65.9% (71.4%) | ▼ 7.7% | 65.5% (69.7%) | ▼ 6.0% | 68.2% (69.5%) | ▼ 1.9% |
| Total Raised | £593.7M (£680.5M) | ▼ 12.8% | £1,345.5M (£1,530.2M) | ▼ 12.1% | £6,028.4M (£5,649.7M) | ▲ 6.7% |
Residential
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| September 2026 | July 2026 to September 2026 | October 2025 to September 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 4,382 (4,053) | ▲ 8.1% | 9,959 (9,659) | ▲ 3.1% | 40,064 (35,983) | ▲ 11.3% |
| Lots Sold | 2,873 (2,905) | ▼ 1.1% | 6,503 (6,765) | ▼ 3.9% | 27,303 (25,022) | ▲ 9.1% |
| Percent Sold | 65.6% (71.7%) | ▼ 8.5% | 65.3% (70.0%) | ▼ 6.7% | 68.1% (69.5%) | ▼ 2.0% |
| Total Raised | £504.3M (£533.4M) | ▼ 5.5% | £1,140.1M (£1,238.9M) | ▼ 8.0% | £4,985.7M (£4,564.3M) | ▲ 9.2% |
Commercial
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
| September 2026 | July 2026 to September 2026 | October 2025 to September 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 521 (584) | ▼ 10.8% | 1,204 (1,271) | ▼ 5.3% | 5,065 (4,610) | ▲ 9.9% |
| Lots Sold | 357 (408) | ▼ 12.5% | 809 (857) | ▼ 5.6% | 3,463 (3,196) | ▲ 8.4% |
| Percent Sold | 68.5% (69.9%) | ▼ 2.0% | 67.2% (67.4%) | ▼ 0.3% | 68.4% (69.3%) | ▼ 1.3% |
| Total Raised | £89.4M (£147.1M) | ▼ 39.2% | £205.4M (£291.3M) | ▼ 29.5% | £1,042.8M (£1,085.4M) | ▼ 3.9% |
Regional Auction Analysis
As is usually the case, variations across all the measurable parameters can be seen across the regions.
N.B. Figures in brackets denote the comparative period last year
East Anglia
(Includes Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 550 (510) | ▲ 7.8% | 514 (455) | ▲ 13.0% | 36 (55) | ▼ 34.5% |
| Lots Sold | 373 (346) | ▲ 7.8% | 347 (305) | ▲ 13.8% | 26 (41) | ▼ 36.6% |
| Percent Sold | 67.8% (67.8%) | ▼ 0.0% | 67.5% (67.0%) | ▲ 0.7% | 72.2% (74.5%) | ▼ 3.1% |
| Total Raised | £61.1M (£61.2M) | ▼ 0.3% | £53.4M (£48.5M) | ▲ 10.1% | £7.7M (£12.7M) | ▼ 39.7% |
East Midlands
(Includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 926 (865) | ▲ 7.1% | 841 (746) | ▲ 12.7% | 85 (119) | ▼ 28.6% |
| Lots Sold | 593 (600) | ▼ 1.2% | 535 (516) | ▲ 3.7% | 58 (84) | ▼ 31.0% |
| Percent Sold | 64.0% (69.4%) | ▼ 7.8% | 63.6% (69.2%) | ▼ 8.1% | 68.2% (70.6%) | ▼ 3.4% |
| Total Raised | £90.7M (£103.0M) | ▼ 11.9% | £79.7M (£70.6M) | ▲ 12.9% | £11.0M (£32.4M) | ▼ 66.1% |
London
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 878 (794) | ▲ 10.6% | 830 (728) | ▲ 14.0% | 48 (66) | ▼ 27.3% |
| Lots Sold | 679 (588) | ▲ 15.5% | 639 (535) | ▲ 19.4% | 40 (53) | ▼ 24.5% |
| Percent Sold | 77.3% (74.1%) | ▲ 4.3% | 77.0% (73.5%) | ▲ 4.8% | 83.3% (80.3%) | ▲ 3.7% |
| Total Raised | £263.7M (£267.3M) | ▼ 1.4% | £239.3M (£237.6M) | ▲ 0.7% | £24.4M (£29.7M) | ▼ 18.0% |
North-East
(Includes Cleveland, County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 636 (725) | ▼ 12.3% | 596 (663) | ▼ 10.1% | 40 (62) | ▼ 35.5% |
| Lots Sold | 387 (496) | ▼ 22.0% | 359 (452) | ▼ 20.6% | 28 (44) | ▼ 36.4% |
| Percent Sold | 60.8% (68.4%) | ▼ 11.1% | 60.2% (68.2%) | ▼ 11.7% | 70.0% (71.0%) | ▼ 1.4% |
| Total Raised | £37.3M (£39.0M) | ▼ 4.5% | £28.5M (£31.5M) | ▼ 9.6% | £8.8M (£7.5M) | ▲ 16.8% |
North-West
(Includes Cheshire, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,636 (1,644) | ▼ 0.5% | 1,483 (1,495) | ▼ 0.8% | 153 (149) | ▲ 2.7% |
| Lots Sold | 1,055 (1,191) | ▼ 11.4% | 958 (1,083) | ▼ 11.5% | 97 (108) | ▼ 10.2% |
| Percent Sold | 64.5% (72.4%) | ▼ 10.9% | 64.6% (72.4%) | ▼ 10.8% | 63.4% (72.5%) | ▼ 12.6% |
| Total Raised | £144.9M (£159.4M) | ▼ 9.1% | £122.1M (£132.4M) | ▼ 7.8% | £22.8M (£27.0M) | ▼ 15.5% |
North-West Home Counties
(Includes Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 653 (827) | ▼ 21.0% | 595 (725) | ▼ 17.9% | 58 (102) | ▼ 43.1% |
| Lots Sold | 457 (564) | ▼ 19.0% | 409 (501) | ▼ 18.4% | 48 (63) | ▼ 23.8% |
| Percent Sold | 70.0% (68.2%) | ▲ 2.6% | 68.7% (69.1%) | ▼ 0.6% | 82.8% (61.8%) | ▲ 34.0% |
| Total Raised | £103.5M (£160.9M) | ▼ 35.6% | £89.4M (£120.8M) | ▼ 25.9% | £14.1M (£40.1M) | ▼ 64.9% |
Northern Ireland
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 56 (78) | ▼ 28.2% | 50 (72) | ▼ 30.6% | 6 (6) | ▼ 0.0% |
| Lots Sold | 29 (27) | ▲ 7.4% | 27 (24) | ▲ 12.5% | 2 (3) | ▼ 33.3% |
| Percent Sold | 51.8% (34.6%) | ▲ 49.7% | 54.0% (33.3%) | ▲ 62.2% | 33.3% (50.0%) | ▼ 33.4% |
| Total Raised | £3.6M (£2.3M) | ▲ 54.3% | £3.4M (£2.1M) | ▲ 66.6% | £0.2M (£0.3M) | ▼ 37.3% |
Scotland
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 396 (309) | ▲ 28.2% | 294 (181) | ▲ 62.4% | 102 (128) | ▼ 20.3% |
| Lots Sold | 154 (91) | ▲ 69.2% | 124 (67) | ▲ 85.1% | 30 (24) | ▲ 25.0% |
| Percent Sold | 38.9% (29.4%) | ▲ 32.3% | 42.2% (37.0%) | ▲ 14.1% | 29.4% (18.8%) | ▲ 56.4% |
| Total Raised | £18.6M (£15.7M) | ▲ 18.4% | £11.6M (£8.5M) | ▲ 37.6% | £6.9M (£7.2M) | ▼ 4.0% |
South-East Home Counties
(Includes Channel Islands, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,471 (1,614) | ▼ 8.9% | 1,321 (1,473) | ▼ 10.3% | 150 (141) | ▲ 6.4% |
| Lots Sold | 961 (1,096) | ▼ 12.3% | 859 (995) | ▼ 13.7% | 102 (101) | ▲ 1.0% |
| Percent Sold | 65.3% (67.9%) | ▼ 3.8% | 65.0% (67.5%) | ▼ 3.7% | 68.0% (71.6%) | ▼ 5.0% |
| Total Raised | £209.9M (£277.1M) | ▼ 24.3% | £181.3M (£227.4M) | ▼ 20.3% | £28.6M (£49.7M) | ▼ 42.5% |
South-West
(Includes Avon, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, Somerset, Wiltshire)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,156 (1,047) | ▲ 10.4% | 962 (861) | ▲ 11.7% | 194 (186) | ▲ 4.3% |
| Lots Sold | 803 (788) | ▲ 1.9% | 653 (644) | ▲ 1.4% | 150 (144) | ▲ 4.2% |
| Percent Sold | 69.5% (75.3%) | ▼ 7.7% | 67.9% (74.8%) | ▼ 9.2% | 77.3% (77.4%) | ▼ 0.1% |
| Total Raised | £137.5M (£147.3M) | ▼ 6.7% | £107.0M (£116.9M) | ▼ 8.5% | £30.5M (£30.3M) | ▲ 0.5% |
Wales
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 619 (538) | ▲ 15.1% | 496 (474) | ▲ 4.6% | 123 (64) | ▲ 92.2% |
| Lots Sold | 362 (350) | ▲ 3.4% | 295 (309) | ▼ 4.5% | 67 (41) | ▲ 63.4% |
| Percent Sold | 58.5% (65.1%) | ▼ 10.1% | 59.5% (65.2%) | ▼ 8.7% | 54.5% (64.1%) | ▼ 15.0% |
| Total Raised | £48.6M (£44.2M) | ▲ 9.9% | £37.1M (£34.5M) | ▲ 7.5% | £11.5M (£9.7M) | ▲ 18.5% |
West Midlands
(Includes Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Worcestershire)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,180 (1,080) | ▲ 9.3% | 1,065 (966) | ▲ 10.2% | 115 (114) | ▲ 0.9% |
| Lots Sold | 800 (827) | ▼ 3.3% | 705 (732) | ▼ 3.7% | 95 (95) | ▼ 0.0% |
| Percent Sold | 67.8% (76.6%) | ▼ 11.5% | 66.2% (75.8%) | ▼ 12.7% | 82.6% (83.3%) | ▼ 0.8% |
| Total Raised | £130.3M (£149.1M) | ▼ 12.6% | £111.6M (£119.7M) | ▼ 6.8% | £18.7M (£29.4M) | ▼ 36.4% |
Yorkshire and The Humber
(Includes North Humberside, North Yorkshire, South Humberside, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire)
| July 2026 to September 2026 | Total | Residential | Commercial | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lots Offered | 1,006 (899) | ▲ 11.9% | 912 (820) | ▲ 11.2% | 94 (79) | ▲ 19.0% |
| Lots Sold | 659 (658) | ▲ 0.2% | 593 (602) | ▼ 1.5% | 66 (56) | ▲ 17.9% |
| Percent Sold | 65.5% (73.2%) | ▼ 10.5% | 65.0% (73.4%) | ▼ 11.4% | 70.2% (70.9%) | ▼ 1.0% |
| Total Raised | £96.1M (£103.8M) | ▼ 7.5% | £75.7M (£88.5M) | ▼ 14.5% | £20.4M (£15.3M) | ▲ 33.1% |
These figures are based on sales data provided to EIG by the auctioneers.
